ومُعَطَّشاتٍ في سُعُورِ قُيونها

تُسْقى نجيعَ جماجمٍ وكواهِلِ

And thirsty ones in the flames of their braziers

Are watered, all skulls and shoulders,

وَمِنَ البروقِ على الرؤوسِ لِوَقْعِها

رعدٌ يَصُوبُ منَ الدماءِ بِوابِلِ

And from the lightning on the heads because of its falling

Thunder aims the blood in a downpour.

وَكَأنَّ أَجنِحَةَ الفراشِ تَقَطّعتْ

منثورةً منهنّ فَوقَ جَداولِ

And as though the wings of moths are torn apart

Scattered above streams from them,

من كلّ أبيضَ راكِضٍ في غِمده

لجّ المنيّة مُعطبٌ بالساحِلِ

From every white charger running in its sheath,

Death's cavalry stands massed on the coast,

يَفري الضرائِبَ في حبائكِ سردِها

بمضاربٍ شهِدتْ وقائعَ وائلِ

Making the tax-collectors gallop in their plots,

With lances that witnessed the affairs of Wa'il.

وكأنّما قفْرٌ يطولُ بمتنِهِ

في رمله للنملِ إِثرَ أنامِلِ

And as though a wasteland stretches in its expanse,

In its sands, for the ants, a track of sandals.